Which issue was a major influence on school social work in the 1960s?

• A. The digital divide
• B. School choice movement
• C. The War on Poverty
• D. Mass urbanization

Answer: (C)

Poverty reduction policy in the 1960s shaped school social work by bringing social supports directly into schools. The War on Poverty, launched in the mid-1960s, funded programs to reduce poverty and improve education, health care, and welfare. In education, this meant more attention and resources for disadvantaged students through initiatives like Head Start and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which encouraged schools to partner with social services and community programs. School social workers then focused on removing barriers to learning that poverty creates—helping families access welfare benefits, healthcare, nutrition, housing supports, and counseling, and coordinating with community agencies to keep students engaged and safe at school. This era fundamentally expanded the role of school social workers and the services they provide.

The other options don’t fit as well because the digital divide became a prominent concern later with broader technology access; the school choice movement gained momentum after the 1960s; and mass urbanization occurred earlier and does not specifically explain the growth of school social work within the 1960s context.